ATTIE FIGURE 12, Ivory Coast

The Attie are one of the Lagoons people and are southern neighbors of
the Baule. Attie figures are, like those of the Baule, among the most elegant
and designed pieces in Africa. Many show careful execution of face, coiffure
and scarification details, with refined forms but no loss of expressiveness
and power. The quiet, dignified figures embody spirits from the other world.
They functioned as the home of a spirit to whom sacrifices were made and
had to be placated with care. Figures were the abode of spirits associated
with diviners. In ritual performances the spirit would come out to possess
the diviner, causing a trance. The display of the figures would enhance
and support the ensuing dance.

The distinctive style of the Attie includes more bulbous limbs, with
a ryhthm of bulges and constrictions. The heads and eyes are large and scarification
is often imitated by small wood pegs.